1:1 Paul, an Ambassador of Anointed Jesus through the will of God, and brother Timothy,

1:2 To the holy ones living in Colosse and trusting in the Anointed:Favor and peace to you from God our Father!

1:3 We thank the God and Father of our Master Jesus the Anointed for you, and we’re always praying for you.

1:4 We heard about your faith in Anointed Jesus, and the love you have toward all the holy ones

1:5 because of the hope reserved for you in the heavens. You heard about this hope via the word of truth of the Gospel,

1:6 which is bringing results throughout the world— and in you from the day you heard and realized the truth of the favor of God.

1:7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow slave, who faithfully served the Anointed for your sakes.

1:8 He has also informed us of your spiritual love.

1:9 That is why, from the day we heard this, we have not stopped praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the recognition of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

1:10 And we pray that you conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the Master, being productive in every good and pleasing work, and growing in your understanding of God.

1:11 We pray that you are empowered according to his mighty and honorable rule, resulting in great endurance and patience

1:12 with joy. We thank the Father, who qualifies you for your portion of the inheritance of those who are holy and in the light,

1:13 and who rescued us out of the jurisdiction of darkness and moved us into the kingdom of the Son he loves—

1:14 the Son who got us released and our failures pardoned.

1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation.

1:16 Everything was created by him— everything in the heavens and on the earth, the visible and the invisible, as well as positions of power, ruled domains, and authorities. It has all been created by him and for him.

1:17 He precedes everything and holds it all together.

1:18 He is the head of the body (which is the Congregation) and the ruling firstborn from the dead. He is first in every way!

1:19 For it was in him that the entirety of God was pleased to live,

1:20 so that by means of him everyone in heaven and earth could be reconciled to himself, making peace by means of his blood on the cross.

1:21 And yet he has now reconciled you who were once estranged and were hostile to understanding, because you did evil.

1:22 He did this by physically dying, so he could present you holy and flawless and above reproach in his sight—

1:23 since in fact you are persisting in the faith. You have been founded and settled so that you are not removed from the hope of the Gospel, which you heard is being proclaimed in all of creation on earth; this is what I was sent to attend to.

1:24 I now celebrate my sufferings for your sakes and do my share to complete in my own flesh whatever is lacking in the physical sufferings of the Anointed, for the sake of his body which is the Congregation.

1:25 I became an attendant of this in accord with God’s planned schedule, to complete the Word of God in you.

1:26 The secret that was concealed from past ages and generations has now appeared in the ones set apart for him.

1:27 God wants them to inform the non-Judeans of the glorious riches of this secret, which is the Anointed in you, the honorable hope.

1:28 We tell and warn everyone and teach them wisely, so that we can present every person as in complete unity with the Anointed.

1:29 This is my labor and struggle in keeping with the operation of his power in me.